Today I'm so excited to share with you the photos from my son Sebastian's first birthday party. It was such a great day filled with so much love from family and friends - we really appreciated that everyone came out to celebrate with Sebastian. I had so much fun planning this party - I can't wait for his next birthday!

Photos shown are the property of Sara Freund - please do not use without express written consent.

Product Source List (some are exactly where and what I bought, some are similar finds):

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Food Table:

Other Stuff:

When we moved into our house in April of 2014, we decided to just do the bare minimum to make it how we wanted it temporarily. Now we are 3+ years into living here and I'm ready to do more. I'm picking the living room because of a few things that I think a lot of families can relate to:

- It's like command central of the house, we play & entertain in that room almost everyday

-The current storage/seating/functionality of the room is lacking and isn't getting the job done

-The thick black and white stripes I love (and I do still!) are feeling too dark in that room. It pains me to say it because I really do love bold color choices in homes and that is why I went for it - but in our home with where light comes in, etc - it's feeling cave-ish and depressing. :(

-I'm home so much more now that I need it to be a working space for me. My son plays on the floor while I work so I need places to put laptops/coffee cups/store crap etc.

What I'm working with

What the living room looked like when we looked at the house (owners colors and furniture):

And after we painted, added curtains, added our furniture & installed a ceiling light and sconces:

Grand Plans

I've always loved the way that a good built in anchors a living room so that's what I think I want to do for the wall with the tv. The situation over there with a media cabinet + random bookcase + small entryway/storage table is not great. Doing built ins would give us a lot more storage and functionality.

The current design I have is below - we will fill in the top section with a custom shelf or just frame it out. I want to add some lights inside as well since we will be adding electrical plugs in the back for some added capabilities.

The start of my plan :)

This time for coloring I think I want to go lighter. The whole built in wall with be a white (built in is white, so we will put a while beadboard or something similar in the section where the tv will go. For the rest of the walls, I'm leaning towards a minky pink/grey/taupe in a matte finish (need to talk to the hubby about it) - like this:

I'm keeping the lighting in the room as I really love the way it looks. I need to add some additional lighting, but I love the bronze main light (shown below - I got it for $34 on amazon!) and the two wall sconces (from urban outfitters also shown below). :)

I'm thinking we will keep our existing couch - maybe get a new cover for it? Not sure on that yet but this is a good starting point to get the ball rolling. Hopefully will have a new update soon to show you!

Have any of you done a built in? If so I would love to see pics for more ideas!

When Katie from Basic Invite asked me to share about their event invitations & products, I was so excited because when I saw these gorgeous paper goods I knew all my followers would love them too! I am a BIG fan of paper invitations (anyone who knows me well will attest to that!) as I think they set the right tone for all events. I even send them out for family gatherings. There is just something really special about getting a well made, crafted invitation in the mail.

I've paired a few of my FAVORITE invitations from Basic Invite with some floral inspiration pics I found while on Pinterest- it was hard to pick only a few of their paper goods as they offer so many customization options (like 180 color options on almost all the elements of the designs - I know, my jaw dropped too!).

Striking Spring Wedding

This was a fantastic shoot - I had so much fun with all the incredibly talented vendors in Iowa. Iowa holds a special place in my heart as much of my family is from there. :) It is a lovely state and has some unique and beautiful wedding venues. The one we picked to style at will take your breath away! Vendor details are below the photos. Enjoy!

One of my favorite ways to meet new vendors and feel that creative juice flow is doing styled shoots! This past week I had the honor of providing linens for a styled shoot by The Midwestern Bride and it turned out beautifully (I'll share some of the pics once I get them!). I had been planning on doing a styled shoot locally or in Wisconsin this year, but then I started thinking about all the places I haven’t seen – all of the states with beautiful, unique, and inspiring venues & vendors. So many of my Instagram heros are in other states – I would love to work with a lot of them, but I never think of it as a possibility as I am in Illinois and don’t travel to other states frequently for events.

All that’s about to change! Which brings me to the announcement – my newest adventure is actually in part a goal. A styled shoot in every. state. I’m calling it “Style the States” (#stylethestates) and I’m super excited to begin next month! We are scheduling out states in small chunks, so for right now here is our current planned schedule (months and locations may be shifted based on venue/location availabilities):

Iowa

Wisconsin

Michigan

Indiana

I am so excited to meet new vendors and see the states! Follow me on Instagram or search using the hashtag #stylethestates to follow my adventure.

If you are a vendor in any state (including Illinois!) and would like to participate in one of the styled shoots, please submit your info here:

While my first passion is textiles & linens, I truly love invitations and paper goods! There is something about a nice thick paper and perfectly designed lettering paired with stunning envelope liners that just gets me - a well designed invitation sets the tone for your event and gets guests excited for what is in store. I've picked some of my favorite invitations from Etsy and paired them with some of our linens - they are some very talented and creative shops! If you have an invitation you would like to put a linen look together for, please feel free to email me: sara@mrsfreund.com - we do event consultations all the time and help clients pick linens that fit their venue & event.

Black and White Elegance

These gorgeous and simple chic invitations by ShineInvitations are perfect for an elegant wedding. They could be paired with likeminded decor, such as our striped chair cover - or you could go bold and pair them with bright pops of color!

Amelia Wedding Invitations by ShineInvitations on Etsy $6.50+

Black & White Stripe Ruched Chair Covers by Mrs. Freund & Co. $40

Rustic Glamour

We LOVE these foil invites from JustInviteMe - they have such a nice balance of a little glimmer + a rustic vibe with the floral liner and band. Pair them with our Vintage Lace Table Runners for a fantastic look!

Romantic Chiffon Table Runner by Mrs. Freund & Co. $20+

Soft and Floral

We love that these wedding invites are budget friendly (pick your own printer and save some $$) - they are also truly stunning! We love the soft touches of roses on the edges paired with the bold navy blue body. We think these would look fabulous with our GLITZ Sequin linens in Champagne or Navy & some full centerpieces!

GLITZ Sequin Tablecloth in Champagne by Mrs. Freund & Co. $99+

Travel Themed Event

Travel themed events have been all the rage as of late, and we LOVE them! These ADORABLE passport invitations from Empire Invites on Etsy just wowed us! We think they would look great paired with our Romantic Ruffles tablecloth in Chiffon - it's an ethereal light look, like floating on a cloud!

Passport Invitation for a destination wedding by EmpireInvites on Etsy $2.34+

Chiffon Romantic Ruffles Fitted Tablecloth by Mrs. Freund & Co. $120+

French Influence

These customized invitations are simple but stunning - and have a gorgeous french look to them! We love the wreath with the couples initials - it's such a classic romantic look. The pale blue contrasts nicely with the crisp white linen - we think this would look great with our Tulle Tutu Tablecloth in a White or Pale Blue paired with our Christina Lace Overlay in White.

Marilyn Wedding Invitation Set by WhimsyBDesigns on Etsy, $3.90+

Tulle Tutu Tablecloth by Mrs. Freund & Co. $135+

Tropical

This has been another very popular look - and we don't wonder why! We would love to be in a tropical paradise everyday! We love this look for summer weddings, parties, and even a shower. Pair these invites with some of our bold & modern square sequins - either in tablecloth or runner form.

Square Sequin Runner in GOLD by Mrs. Freund & Co., $35

Natural Beauty

These invitations are a beautiful natural look - we think they would be great if your event was being held at a garden, preserve, outdoors, or even a destination event. Pair these with our Romantic Ruffles tableskirt in organza - in either one of of varied purple hues, or a periwinkle blue.

Purple Watercolor Leaves by HeSawSparks on Etsy, $30 (printable file)

Romantic Ruffle Tableskirt (Organza) by Mrs. Freund & Co., $115

I have wanted to write a blog since before I started my business - it was never the right time, the right subject, the right name. I've now decided I'm just going to make it happen - no more excuses! This blog is going to be more or less a lifestyle blog, so I can share things from my business & personal life all in one place. I hope you will come along for the ride and catch some useful tips/projects along the way. Here's to a new chapter of my life & business! My current plan is to post at least once a week. If you are a fellow blogger, I would love any tips or advice you have - feel free to post in the comments!